Is Cincinnati City Council Spending Too Much On Themselves?

Why does the Enquirer have such a beef with council woman Laketa Cole?
Though this morning’s article released by The Enquirer chronicled a good number of all of the council’s spending throughout 2008, it began the article in its usual fear monger-like manor with the following:

“Cincinnati taxpayers last year helped Councilwoman Laketa Cole finish her
master's degree, reimbursed her for accessing city e-mails on her cell phone and
paid a photographer to document her swearing-in.”

Well, I guess this intro succeeded in it’s purpose because it got me to read the entire article, but I would have been just as interested if the first paragraph read,

“Cincinnati City Council members 2008 reimbursements are being questioned by taxpayers.”

But who am I to judge…..oh wait. I am a tax payer as well.

Since I opened the can of worms, I might as well spill them out.

The article went on to give an overview of some of the things which the council, including the mayor, submitted for reimbursements over that past year. Digital cameras, foreign travel, extravagant ergonomically correct keyboards and scholastic endeavors were all items frowned up by the Enquirer.

But weren’t all of these reimbursements approved by members of City Council?

I may be wrong, but I find it hard to believe that the diverse group of council members would conspire behind close doors (which all council meeting are open to the public) to cheat the Queen City’s tax payers out of their hard earned mullah.

I am going to have to call foul on this one.

I know that there may be some misappropriations of funds going on in our City Hall, which I am all for stopping, but I doubt that all of the council members are playing on the same team (no pun intended) with concerns to gyp the local tax payer.